Biting The Bullet
by FlickaDaMustang
Summary: Roy seems to be always getting banged up but this is one injury he is going to need help to recover from and he is reluctant to accept help from Felicity let alone another guy. Oliver doesn't give him much choice in the matter though and what was thought to be just a graze turns out to be far worse.
1. Awkward

Roy quickly covered his mouth, swallowing down the pain, as the bullet whizzed past tearing along his hip, and then continued on its course, stopping somewhere in the abandoned building. His eyes welled up involuntary tears, as he mentally pushed the pain aside. His motivation to stay quiet as obvious as the men standing just across the road. Roy had been ease dropping gathering intel for Oliver. His presence however, had been noticed, by the floor giving way beneath his feet. The building he was listening from was old and apparently crumbling. The loud commotion had brought upon him gunfire, though he had only been grazed. He wasted no time in getting out from beneath the rubble, and limping away. Making his way to the motorcycle and bringing the engine to life. His pained huffs becoming wisps of white in the cold winter air. How he wished he had worn his costume now, with its Kevlar lining. It would have deflected the bullet.

Oliver was going to be mad, no, not mad, he was going to be pissed, but also glad the kid was okay. Roy was glad to see he wasn't currently in the foundry when he made his return. Felicity however, was there and she turned around in her chair with a welcoming smile. "How did it go- wait Roy are you feeling ok?"

The brunette nodded. "I'm fine just cold." He said trying to dodge her, but she moved to cut him off, maybe it was her womanly instincts or just pure concern from a friend, but she touched the back of her hand to his forehead. "You're sweating Roy did you run here?" He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, totally." She met his gaze with a warning glare and he clamped his mouth shut. "Roy you have a fever, what's going on?"

He sighed, knowing the blonde wasn't going to give up until she got some answers. "Just promise me that you won't freak out, alright?" She nodded "I'll do my best." He huffed, "I..I got shot.." Felicity eyes widened. "Wait!, where?!, let me see!" Roy glowered at her "I thought you said you weren't going to freak out!" The brunette said with an annoyed glare.

Felicity's keen eyes scanned the boy's body.  
She spotted the blood on his jeans and moved with swiftness that surprised the young man. "Hey, don't you think this is crossing a line?!" He asked, as she quickly pulled down the denim and part of jeans, revealing part of his boxers. Roy quickly made sure only that portion dropped down and grunted uncomfortably. His eyes shot wide when he heard Oliver's voice with a hint of anger and confusion. "What's going on here?" Roy stammered this was not the kind of things dudes like to see. "I, um, she was just.." Oliver glowered impatiently at his ward babbled. "Roy explain." "it's nothing Oli-ow! Felicity!" The blonde flinched "Sorry..I found the wound."

Oliver looked his partner in the eye and the brunette swallowed nervously. "Roy what is she talkin about?" The brunette tried to brush it off. "It's nothing..just a graze.."

"Roy got shot." Felicity blurted out. The brunette looked down at her "Thanks."

Oliver smacked the young man in the back of the head. "Why weren't you wearing your suit?!" Roy hissed in pain and rubbed the slightly stinging area. "It's not exactly low profile Oliver." The older male narrowed his eyes "I don't care about you blending in Roy! I care about you being safe, you're my responsibility!" Felicity blinked "And I just realized, how incredibly awkward this must look." Oliver grabbed Roy by the arm to hold him still and Roy automatically squirmed "Hey! no! you are not pulling down my pants!"

Oliver grabbed the young man by the front of his red hoodie, and Roy winced uncomfrtably, his mentor was rather scary when he was serious. "Do you want to die?" He asked with a growl. Roy blinked in confusion. "What are you talking about?" Oliver sighed. "You're feverish Roy." The brunette growled. "So what? I've been out in the cold for ages. I'm not surprised if I have a cold." Oliver huffed in frustration and shouted at him "You're not sick Roy! You've been poisoned!"

Roy's eyes widened as Oliver screamed his name, but it wasn't anger Oliver had towards him it was concern. "It just grazed me it's not like it went into my shoulder or something." Though he noted the odd sensation he felt spreading through his person and he blinked as his vision became blurry. Leaning slightly Oliver kept him balanced. "Roy?" The brunette's eyes rolled and his knees buckled suddenly.

Oliver made sure he laid down slowly as he lowered the boys' limp body to the cool floor, before darting over to his crate. The man fished out a small pouch and grabbed a pinch of small leaves before snatching a water bottle and dropped down to Roy's level, pushing the herb into his mouth "Roy listen to me chew it or you're going to die!" He sat Roy up and tilted the water back so the young man could swallow. He watched as the youths' throat weakly moved and he sighed tossing the bottle aside. "Felicity I need you to bring me a scalpel and some towel."

She nodded "Is he gonna be ok?" The older male looked at her. "I'm not sure the herbs will cleanse his body of the poison, but the infection has already begun to set in. I need to drain it.." She glanced at Roy's wound. "You know he wouldn't want this..he's not big on needles or doctors in general." Oliver nodded "I know, but he's my responsibility." She handed him the surgical blade and turned away. "I just finished Big Belly Burger and I don't wanna risk losing it."

Oliver nodded. "Take the rest of the day." He ran the blade over his lighter. Which he kept on him strictly for times like this. Roys' eyes widened as he saw the blade gleam and he swallowed nervously. "What are you going to do with that?" Oliver sighed and looked down at the blue eyed young man. "Do you trust me?" Roy sighed. "You already know the answer to that question." Oliver nodded. "This is going to hurt." He slowly began to cut into the irritated red skin and watched as Roys' face tensed grunting in pain. "Sorry kid I have to." He began to apply pressure despite Roy's weak groan of protest. A thick whitish fluid mingled with blood oozed forward. The pungent odor reached Olivers' nose and he grunted. "Never get used to that smell." He continued squeezing, working the white blood cells to the surface until he spotted his target the pustule sac, it had to be removed or else the infection would simply come back. Leaving for a moment he returned wit a pair o scissors an tweezers. Reaching in he pulled the small object taught and cut it out by the root. He then retrieved a hook and thread to stitch up the wound. The swelling from the infection had caused it to swell and in order for it to leave minimal scarring the wound would need to be sewn shut.

Roy looked at the hook and groaned. "Stitches again?" Oliver scoffed lightly and began to push the hook through the wound. Roy hissed and the older male chuckled. "Maybe next time you'll wear the costume I had made for you."

The brunette muttered in aggrivation. "Can you please try to not enjoy my suffering so much?" Oliver smirked. "Sorry part of being a big brother, it brings me joy to watch you squirm."  
Roy scoffed and glanced at the other. "You really do consider us blood now, don't you? Ever since you donated your blood to me you've been, even more..protective than usual, well that, and you hit me a lot more.." 

Roy stirred a few hours later and hissed as Oliver rubbed alcohol across the wound "Rise and shine kid." Roy grumbled as he scooted to the edge of the silver table. Oliver chuckled. "A few more and you'll be caught up to me." Roy blinked. "Oh you mean scars." Oliver nodded and ruffled his hair and folded his arms with a sigh. Roy huffed. "Aw, c'mon! not another lecture.." Oliver smiled it kind of adorable when Roy whined like that in a way Roy felt like his own son. "I need to be a good teacher and make sure you learn from your mistakes."

Roy held up his arms slightly "I get always wear the suit." Oliver shook his head. "Not the lesson here kiddo." Roy rolled his eyes and Oliver smirked lightly he enjoyed irritating the other. "Try again." Roy shrugged. Oliver smiled lightly. "Stealth, you can't let your enemies know where you are." The lights flickered off and Oliver spoke. "Training starts now."


	2. Personal

Biting the Bullet Chapter 2

Roy huffed in annoyance and closed his eyes. "Damnit Oliver, I'm not in the mood to be taught a lesson." Roy grunted as from the darkness he was slugged in the gut. Oliver smirked as Roy bent over in sheer recoil from the blow. "gah!, This is bullshit." The older male grabbed him by the front of his hoodie and forced Roy to look at him. "No, you being careless and getting yourself injured while on a simple recon mission." Oliver grabbed him in a firm headlock and Roy grunted trying to pry free. "That's bullshit." Roy growled and shoved forward slamming Oliver's back into a nearby wall. "Alright! I get it! I messed up!, now lay off me!" Oliver let him go and Roy stormed over to the glass case where his suit was. Oliver narrowed his gaze. "Don't even think about suiting up you're still recovering from your injury."

Roy turned and looked at him. "Funny, you never follow that advice when we're giving it to you." He held Oliver's gaze as the older male approached slowly. "What part of 'we're brothers' did you not understand Roy?" The young man rolled his eyes and grabbed his bow. "I get that you're looking out for me Oliver, but I need to clear my head that's all."

Oliver huffed "Then let me come with you, to be sure you're safe." Roy glanced at him "You've never gone on patrol with me." Oliver smirked. "You're my eyes and ears remember?" Roy glanced at him "You're going to follow me regardless aren't you?" Oliver shrugged lightly. "Yep." Roy groaned. "Fine, let's go try and keep up." Oliver smirked. "I'll do better than that kid I'll catch you."

Roy snorted in amusement. "Yeah, hate to burst your bubble bro, but that's not gonna happen." Oliver smirked and eyed the other confidently. "Care to make it interesting?" Roy raise like a brow. "What like a wager?" Oliver nodded "For fun, yeah a wager between you and me, I catch you take the rest of the week off no exceptions." Roy blinked "Then what do I get if you can't catch me because you aren't going to." Oliver thought for a moment. "I'll teach you any new bow technique you want." Roy laughed "No way! you're finally gonna teach me how to shoot three arrows at once?!" Oliver nodded "If that's what you pick." Roy scoffed "Bet on!" They shook on it and Roy slowly exited the foundry Oliver following close behind. He pointed "We go to that roof top and then I get a 10 second head start." Oliver shook his head. "Five seconds." The young man smirked.  
"Fine, five go!"

They both shot grapple arrows to a nearby roof and once at the top Roy sprinted forward and Oliver waited for several second before sprinting after him. Roy ran along the edge of the nearest roof and leaped vaulting up a fire escape. He smirked as Oliver cut him off and he leaped across the alleyway and Oliver growled. "You're a slippery one I'll give you that." Roy smirked "How else do you think I got away from your sister and Laurel?"

Oliver blinked "Wait, what are you talking about kid?" Roy scoffed "She seriously never told you about that?" The older man shook his head. "Nope, so you tell me." Roy leaped to another rooftop "I stole her purse, they ran after me, and thought they had me cornered, then I ran up a wall and leaped over a fence."

Oliver chuckled "Oh I can just see the look on their faces." Roy cackled. "Yeah they were pretty pissed." The older male followed closely behind Roy "Better speed it up I'm gaining on you."

Roy scoffed "Keep up will ya, I'm not even breaking a sweat yet." He shot forward lengthening his stride and Oliver muttered a curse of frustration "Oh don't you worry about me." Oliver said with smirk. As he and Roy leaped down into an alley the older male being heavier dropped quicker. He grabbed Arsenal by his hood. Roy instinctively grabbed his baton and struck the others' hand away. Oliver smirked slightly. "I'm glad to see you have good reflexes, it's been a while since we've had a good spar session." Roy scoffed "Does this mean the bet is off?" Oliver was silent for a moment. "Maybe instead of time off you need your fire stoked, you're not the type of guy who can stand to sit still, and you like to fight."

The youth smirked at his mentor. "Yeah we're alike in that way at least, you don't look for a fight, but you pretty much have obsessive training disorder...I can't wait to sit still because I see how this city has gone to hell it didn't used to be this bad...and without your help I'd be unable to do anything about it." A sudden buzzing interrupted the conversation and Roy checked his phone. "I need to take this." He walked away a few steps. "What's wrong?" Oliver observed as Roy paced a bit, this was interesting behavior he had never seen Roy nervous before. The brunette nodded and quickly hung up the phone. "Hey I need to go I'll holler at you later." Oliver nodded. "What's going on?" The ward shook his head "I don't have time to explain right now..It's personal." He brushed past Oliver and jogged down into the Foundry swapping out his Arsenal suit for his civilian clothes and before Oliver could object or try to stop him he was on the bike and out the door.

Oliver Queen strided over to Felicity who sat at the computer monitors. "Find him he's acting odd." The blonde looked at him for a moment. "You think he's in some sort of trouble?" Oliver shrugged "He said it was personal..what do we know about his parents?" Felicity sighed "Well his dad was also named Roy Harper..senior, but he died a few years back..." Oliver was slightly stunned. "His dad died?" Felicity nodded. "Not sure 'dad' is the right word for a man who abandoned his family..no wonder he looks up to you so much." Oliver blinked. "He doesn't just see me as a mentor..he sees me as a type of father figure?" Felicity nodded "Probably one of the reasons he tends to be so rebellious and eager to please you..he never had anyone there for him growing up." Oliver nodded "What about his mother. "We know even less about her, not even a name..but Roy did once say that she had been on Verigo and had kicked it..but he had just been busted for robbing Thea so that could have been a lie to get out of trouble with the cops."

Oliver watched the blinking red dot. "Where are you going Roy?"


	3. A Haunting Past

Roy Harper slowly made his way back down the all too familiar streets of The Glades in Starling City. These littered streets were carved deep into the memory of his brain. The young man had grown up on them all his life. He slowly passed by his old house and sighed, lightly shaking his head as he traveled a few more blocks to a run down trailer home.

From the looks of it no one was home, but given the current resident did not own a car, you never really could be sure, there could be others in the house, maybe even a new boyfriend. The brunette didn't plan to stick around long enough to get acquainted, just to make sure she was okay, his mother had sounded off on the phone, scared even, and that was not an emotion he liked hearing.

The brunette was unsure what to expect, they weren't exactly close now a days. He approached the door to find it slightly ajar and slowly stepped inside. "Hello? Anybody home? I'm looking for a Susan Harper." Roy could tell someone was here recently, food still fresh, lay on a small plate at the kitchen table, with no flies circling about. Roy had always been the observative type, often his life depended on small tell tale signs.

From the back room Roy heard a groan and he quickly jogged through the house and slowly pried the door open, what he saw shocked him to his core. The young man's mother lay on the floor trembling with beads of sweat down her face, beside her a syringe. Roy felt a bitter disappointment and anger fill him, but mostly worry, his mother clearly needed a doctor. He knelt down and touched her forehead "Mom.." A low voice spoke from behind him. "She'll be fine as long as she recieves medical treatment within the hour..which will be provided, if you cooperate.:

Roy narrowed his eyes and he spun facing whomever spoke from the shadows and glared. The tall man stepped forward into the light. "Now is that any way to speak to your big brother?" Roy's eyes widened as he recognized the scar on the man's face. "Cyrus.." The man smirked and grasped Roy by his neck. "You should show me some respect. I could have easily ended her."

Roy struggled gagging as he was picked up by his throat. "It's good to see you again, brother Roy, but you seem to be lacking...the gift our father Slade gave us." Roy grunted "What did you do to my mother? I swear if you touch her I'll-" Cyrus Gold chuckled in amusement. "I gave her exactly what she wanted, true she may not have asked for it, but I could see the hunger in her eyes, Vertigo is quite potent after all, you'll do nothing, not in your current, pathetic state...it's time for you to rejoin the family."

Roy growled angrily "You son of a bitch!"

Meanwhile, against her better judgement Felicity hesitantly had tapped into Roy's phone in order to hear any conversations. What her and Oliver heard stunned them. "Oliver...is that?" "Cyrus Gold...he's still alive...and now Roy and his mother are in danger."

Felicity swallowed "But how?! You dropped a building on him! She watched as Oliver went over to his case and grabbed his bow. "Oliver you can't! We don't have any of the cure left." Oliver sighed and looked at her. "He's my responsibility Felicity, Roy is my family, my partner..I have to try." The blonde hesitantly nodded. "Just promise me you'll be careful." Oliver lightly pecked Felicity on the forehead. "Always." He suited up and strided over to his bike straddling the powerful machine. "Hang on Roy."

The bike roared to life as Oliver tore down the road heading toward the Glades, a beep came over his microphone. "He's at 125 Southwest avenue, I'm uploading the quickest route into your bikes GPS now."

Roy grimaced as he felt a needle press against his threatening to break the skin. "Cyrus no!" The man smirked darkly. "Welcome back to the family." Roy struggled as he heard a bike approach. Cyrus looked in the direction of the roaring engine and chuckled. "Well if it isn't the Arrow. We have unfinished business." Oliver got off his bike drawing his bow. "Put the kid down now!" Cyrus chuckled darkly "Oh I think not, see he's quite valuable...once family always family."

Oliver growled. "He's not going to become part of your sick cult Cyrus let him go!" The scar-faced man smiled lightly. "Yo know what they say, you don't get to choose your family." Oliver's eyes widened as he watched the syringe be plunged into Roy's neck and the green liquid was injected "Roy!" Roy yelled in pain as an acidic burn crawled through his body and blood began to trickle from his eyes, and down his face.

Cyrus dropped Roy and slowly began to walk away without saying a word. Oliver quickly went to Roy as he screamed in pain and held him down firmly. "Fight through it Roy." He grunted as the young man writhed in agony beneath him. "Felicity, send Diggle with the van Roy's mom is in bad shape." The young woman was silent for a moment. "Is that..Roy screaming?" Oliver felt a pain of guilt. "Cyrus injected him with the mirakuru." The young woman sighed sadly "And he doesn't have enough of the cure left in his system to counter it..is he gonna be okay?"

Oliver could feel Roy becoming stronger. "I'm not sure, I've only seen Slade be injected. The sheer agony of it is usually what kills someone.." Roy yelled in pain and writhed beneath him. A screech of tires let Oliver know Diggle had arrived. The tall dark skinned man briskly jogged over. "Not again.." Oliver nodded "Help me hold him down." Diggle sighed lightly and went to pin down his legs, but Roy kicked him in his struggle. "Gah! damnit kid.." Oliver pinned down Roy's arms and straddled his chest. "Keep him down Diggle we can't risk him hurting himself.." "Well in the mean time he's hurting us." Oliver shook his head. "He could die if he has anymore pain he can't handle it."

Roy suddenly became very still and Oliver leaned down to listen to his heart and was suddenly shoved off as Roy quickly got to his feet. Oliver lay on his back and looked up at his apprentice who was fuming with rage. "Roy, it's me Oliver...you r mother needs to get to a hospital." Roy glared and shook his head "No! I'll care of her! I always take car of her!" The young man's mentor slowly got to his feet. "Roy she needs a doctor. I think she may be dying." The young man cracked his neck as he tilted it to the side. "Touch her and you're gonna be the one who's dead." Diggle slowly approached "Roy, I know you're upset man I get it, but you've got to throttle that anger back it's messing with your head. We're trying to help you." Roy glances to Diggle. "You take her, but he stays." Diggle had an uneasy feeling, but a nod from Oliver sent him on his way. He approached the shivering woman and picked her up carefully, then carried her to the passenger side of the van and buckled her in. "Be careful Oliver." He said as he closed the door and drove away. 


	4. Breaking Through

Roy Harper paced back and forth growling lowly in agitation, sounding more like a wild animal that a human. He was on edge and angry. His mentor Oliver Queen stood close by observing the primal behavior with wary eyes."Roy I need you to calm down, hey! look at me!"

The brunette went rigid and his head snapped in Olivers' direction, his upper lip twitching showing his strong white teeth. "Roy I promise you we're going to do everything we can to help your mother, but right now the only thing in my sights is you." Roy shook his head slightly. "Stay away from me..I've never been this angry in my life and I don't want to hurt you."

Oliver Queen sighed "Roy we don't have any of the cure left, I'm going to need a blood sample for, and send it off to Kaitlyn and Cisco to remake it so we can get the Mirakuru out of your system." Roy growled at the thought of a needle his teeth gritting. "I feel different than last time..more primal." Felicity spoke through Olivers; headset "It's possible in order to fight off the cure Roys' particular strain of Mirakuru mutated in order to survive..if the amount injected into him was more than the cure in his system, than the cure would have attacked it and became overwhelmed, and the mirakuru can become immune to it."

Oliver liked this news even less. "So are you saying we can't cure him?" Roy had finally stopped pacing now and his eyes were locked on Oliver, they were lethally focused on the archer and his communicator. Felicity sighed "We can still cure him we just have to find a way to counteract this particular strain. Oliver gave a small sigh of relief. "He's more on edge..even more than the night he blacked out."

At the mention of those words Roy felt a throbbing in his head. The young man grunted and grasped at his hair, his eyes rolling back in his skull Oliver rushed over to him worried about his sudden change in behavior. "Roy?! Roy talk to me!" The young brunette grunted as the memories of his black out came to the forefront of his mind.

He shook his head and tried to push them aside, striking out and sending Oliver flying back a few feet. The older archer groaned. "Felicity, do we have any Tibetan Pit Viper venom left over?" She quickly got up and went to looking "Three arrows, but I think that's all." Oliver nodded "That should be enough to put him under I need you to bring it to me." The blonde nodded and briskly walked out of the Foundry her shoes nosily clacking. "I chose a bad day to wear heels..Oliver just don't piss him off."

Roy slammed his fist against the pavement cracking it as he bellowed in anger and glared at Oliver while on his hands and knees. "He's already pissed off." The brunette looked down at the small crater he had made and slammed it again and again over and over making the damage worse with each blow. Oliver felt the force of the impact radiate through the asphalt and he swallowed nervously, debating on letting Roy vent out his anger, or risk drawing his attention.

Felicity thought for a moment. "Oliver, we can't cure him, not yet any ways." "Why not?" The blonde swallowed "Because he's the only one who can match Cyrus' strength." Oliver hadn't thought about that, he had been so focused on helping Roy, the young man he viewed as a brother. "What do you suggest?" "It seems Roys' current anger is due to his black out, recalling what he did...so maybe if you can recall a time where you broke through to him, he'll remember that too." Oliver nodded his head "But I don't yelling at him is going to help any." "We're not going to yell we're going to bombard him with the sound of your voice..but Oliver you have to say it exactly how you did the night you unmasked yourself."

Oliver Queen swallowed lightly "Great..no pressure..so how is this going to work?" "I'm hacking in to every large news monitor and club to take over their speakers and replay the sound, you'll be speaking live throughout the city in just a moment, do you know your lines?" Oliver cleared his throat a bit "Yep." He turned on his voice modifier remembering it had been on for some of the time when he had tried to get through to Roy the night of the prototype earthquake machine was going to activate and it was in a military grade steel crate.

Oliver took a deep breath "Ready when you are Felicity." The blonde nodded "Now!" Oliver took a small breath his voice having a slight urgency to it as he spoke looking at the young man. "Roy I need your help! Roy stop it! Roy!" Oliver switched off his modifier and shouted to break through the blinding rage that had consumed his young friend. "ROY I NEED YOU TO STOP!" Oliver grasped at this shoulder as the youth prepared another strike again the black asphalt. His voice echoed and reverberated replaying itself in a synchronized sonic boom of sound, dissolving Roys anger as he recalled that night and he slowly stood up and turned to Oliver his eyes calm again. Felicity severed the connection and the news as well as the music resumed around them. The people who had been rather puzzled by the sudden interruption, resumed their new streams and partying. "W-what happened? Did I hurt anyone?" Oliver glanced down at the rather large pothole that had been formed by the young mans' pounding fists. "Nothing a few government dollars won't fix." He said with a light smirk. "It's good to have you back." "I heard your voice." "Try my voice replicated like a hundred times over hard head." Roy gave a light chuckle and then remembered his mother and became worried "Where is she?" "At a hospital, but if I take you to see her you have to remain calm."

Roy gave a quick nod, he was eager to make sure his mother was alright. "I will I promise." Oliver patted him on the back "After we visit her we really have to get to work planning on how to take out Cyrus, so we need to keep this brief." Roy shook his head in agreement. "I understand, besides I owe that guy an ass beating." Oliver chuckled slightly. "That's what I like to hear, you focused." 


End file.
